It was Valentines Day, it was dinner. The girlfriend and I stayed in and cooked rather than deal with crowds and the inevitable indifferent food coming out of continuously-slammed kitchens. And better wine. Her tastes run strongly to reds (“But I have to admit that the whites we’ve been drinking are pretty good…”) so that’s where we went.
The 2020 Weis Pinot Noir (Keuka Lake) was, on release, a stereotypical Keuka PN- light in color and body, but agile and intense, almost like a dark rosé. It’s got a few years on it now, the color is starting to shift, and the fruitiness has given way to more earthy and tea-like aromas and flavors. Air was kind to it, letting it flesh out a bit over a couple hours. I’m not sure I’d keep it much longer, but it’s a fun ride at the moment. I rate it a Double Larry.
A deeper and more serious red is the 2023 Ria’s Cabernet Franc (Seneca Lake). The vineyard is a great site on a west facing slope with a lovely view of Seneca Lake. On release, this wine was bouncy-fruity, more like a serious Gamay than a Cabernet Franc. I loved it and bought several cases with the idea of making it the house red at our little café. A year and a half in the bottle has changed a LOT about this wine. It has put on weight and gravitas, showing hints of Cab Franc herbal (especially tarragon) aromas overlaying the substantial fruit. The tannin and structure are much more reminiscent of top Loires than of Beaujolais. In a blind tasting, one might even guess it as a Loire rather than an FLX red. I’m super-happy I bought a bunch and the direction it’s taking. With the wines (especially the Cab Franc and Rieslings) getting better and better every year since Ria and Mike’s acquisition of the old Bagley vineyards and facility, Ria’s is certainly in the select group of “best new wineries in the Finger Lakes.” Moe Double Curly, and in 5-10 years, this will absolutely be in Triple Curly territory.